Tag Archives: reflection

Water. There is something about the sound of a splash, waves curling with foam before crashing onto the shore, the white noise of the ebb and flow of tides that brings a calm and focus to my brain, causing connections to build, ideas to generate, understandings to emerge.

Maybe it is the smell, briny molecules that tickle my nostrils. Cool, damp. Particles searching for their polar opposites, sticking together, forming droplets that create a film on my skin, a chemical change that soothes not only the body but also the soul.

Could it be the walking that makes the difference? Putting one foot in front of the other, the bipedal motion integrating the hemispheres of the brain, breathing in and out, swinging arms in rhythm. Or is it the combination of water, walking, and fresh air that energize the mind, replenish the spirit, and allow for creative thinking and problem solving?

As I walk the shore my eyes search the horizon, taking in the blues and greens and all the shades of white. I notice the ripples in the sand under my feet, the tiny bean clams sitting up on end partially buried, the uneven terrain of pools and islands revealed as the tides pull the water back. Seagulls squawk, shouting directions and warning to their kin, Sandpipers whistle their concerns. Pelicans dive and float, soar and scan, only to dive again. Children scream and squeal as they race into and out of the water.

In all of this commotion, there is stillness and space. I breathe deeply, taking it all in.

The past few weeks have passed in a blur…just where did 2017 go? School was in session right up through December 22nd, leaving only the weekend to finish last minute preparations for Christmas and the whirlwind that was about to ensue. And once family left on Sunday, I had time for a bit of celebrating before waking up yesterday to a new year.

In spite of the time warp, I have been thinking about a word to guide 2018 as well as reflecting on last year’s word. For 2017, I chose the word possibility. Possibility is a great word, and as I read last year’s post I could still feel the reasons I chose this word. But what I have learned about a word as a talisman is that I need a word that requires action, a word that reminds me to do something when the going get rough or stagnant and I need that proverbial kick in the butt,

So for some weeks now I’ve been trying on words. Even this morning I thought I had settled on my word, but found myself reconsidering as I pulled out my computer to begin writing. I thought reach would be that perfect word, encouragement to go beyond my comfort zone, to look past the edges of my sightline. But suddenly, reach seemed too stagnant, too grabby, too self-serving. I needed a word with more layers, something to encourage me to go beyond, but also to be flexible, introspective, and compassionate.

Stretch…somehow it feels right. I need to make space in my life for more stretching, allow this body to bend, to regain the flexibility that I’ve allowed to erode as yoga has faded from my regular routines. I want to stretch my mind and my thinking, remember to listen carefully to others and to consider perspectives different from my own.

I want to stretch time, gathering up minutes that turn into hours that I waste doing things that don’t matter and return to more writing, reading, and photography. While I still always fit those activities into my life, I know I can be more mindful and deliberate about making them a priority. I want to grow my skills, stretching to learn something new each day.

I intend to stretch my legs, walking and hiking into new places and seeing familiar places in new ways. And I want to stretch out my passport and travel, exploring some new venues–those places we’ve talked about visiting but haven’t quite gotten to. I will also keep stretching low, picking up those little boys who are almost not babies anymore! Stretch to reach those small hands that are so eager to explore the world, offering me new insights on teaching and learning.

I can already feel the muscles in my back and shoulders unknot and relax, knowing that each stretch will result in flexibility and strength–a combination that seems perfect for 2018.

And as a reminder, a photo from my New Year’s Eve beach walk of an egret stretching into flight. Like the egret, I will stretch my wings, pay attention to my surroundings, and even stir up the waters to uncover the tasty tidbits beneath. (Have you ever watched an egret hunt? I love the way they stomp and rustle the waters to get the fish to come into view as they search for food.)

Reflection in writing and thinking has become habit for me…and it’s something I emphasize for my students. In fact, I did an extensive study of reflective thinking and writing for my MA quite a few years ago now. I know that reflection helps learning stick. It creates opportunities for problem solving and connections. In the classroom we talk about reflection as a way of collecting learning.

Over the last week or so I’ve been playing around with reflection in my photographs. It’s a bit different from reflective thinking and writing. Instead of examining your thought processes and searching memory, this kind of photography requires a shiny surface of some sort to catch the reflection. Low tide walks are perfect when there is some sunshine to create reflections. I’ve had to tinker with angles, how close to get to the reflective surface, and what kinds of objects reflect well. Yesterday, low tide was near sunset. Perfect weather, warm and clear, allowed for a refreshing walk in the water. I noticed the reflection of the pier, light posts, pilings, and even people, creating a perfect mirror image on the wet sand.

I couldn’t resist trying to capture the color in this reflective photo of the buildings and palm trees along the shore line. I love the brilliance of the blue sky reflected on the wet sand.

I noticed this reflection as I worked to create an interesting photo of some trash on the beach. As I turned my phone to find an interesting angle, I noticed the reflection of the palm trees. While the angle isn’t perfect, I was able to get an interesting #litterati photo and get some plastic off the beach and out of the ocean.

I’m a bit obsessed with seabirds. I try to get as close as possible without spooking them, getting low if possible. These guys are pretty perceptive and love to start walking away when they see me in the distance! I particularly like the soft light of the setting sun warming up their reflection with the pier in the background.

I captured this guys’s image earlier in the week. The day was a bit gray and blustery, ruffling his feathers and making the texture dimensional. This is the only photo in the post that I have edited. I found that by darkening and brightening the image, I could draw attention to the detail of the feathers, the beak and the reflection.

Reflecting on all this reflection reminds me how much there is to learn from thinking about the processes we use. While photography uses different skills and processes than writing, they both benefit from taking time to reflect on successes and frustrations. And it always helps to study the work of another.

So, head out with your camera and try your hand at capturing reflection. Low tide created a perfect shiny surface for me. Will you find another body of water? A wet patio deck? The shiny side of your car? And what will you learn when you take the time to think back and write about your experience capturing reflection through your lens?

Share your #reflection this week, in images or words…or both. You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #reflection.

I can’t wait to learn from your reflection photos…and your reflections on reflection this week!

Change happens. Sometimes when you least expect it. It’s still warm and sunny and shorts are my go-to weekend attire, but on my beach walk Sunday I was thankful I had grabbed my sweatshirt. The breeze was chilly…and honestly, it has felt fall-ish all weekend.

On my way to work each morning I drive along the coast. Lately I’ve been noticing the field of pumpkins, bright orange and framed by the row of palm trees. I read something today that informed me that these are grown by people at the Self Realization Fellowship (located just to the west) and they become a magnificent display of creatively carved jack-o-lanterns on Halloween each year.

Seasonal change is subtle in San Diego. I’m starting to see posts and photos by friends who live further east and further north. The trees are turning and color is dominating the natural landscape. Instead of brilliant reds and oranges, I am noticing that the beach is wide open with many fewer tourists visiting and maybe many locals occupied by piano lessons and soccer games instead of those long lazy summer days on the shore. I love this time of year with the sun warming my shoulders, my feet in the surf, and long stretches of open space in front of me. The shore birds seem to enjoy it too, less skittish as I come near with my camera.

There is lots of change in store decor these days too. Supermarkets are filled to brim with pumpkin flavored this and that and those pop up Halloween shops are opening. A trip to Home Depot over the weekend revealed lots and lots of fall flowers. The bees were happy, flying around and doing their pollinator thing, regardless of the change around them!

And all change isn’t seasonal. My teaching life is profoundly changed this year too. After 23 years co-teaching a multiage class, I am on my own with third graders this year. I am adjusting to the change in workflow and loving the intimacy of time alone with my students. The rhythms are different, but the work is familiar and fulfilling.

What does change look like in your place, in your life? You might consider the seasonal changes…or not. There are lots of changes that we experience, some because of the change in the weather and some because of other changes in our lives.

Share your #change this week, in images or words…or both. You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #change.

Take a look around and notice change in your life this week. Pick up your camera, phone, notebook and pen and document all that you see and experience. Be sure to share…I look forward to seeing and thinking about your change too!

We do it every day in lots of ways. In the line at the grocery store or as the barista prepares that perfect latte. In the dentist’s office or in that line of cars on the metered freeway onramp. For the ladies room during that oh-so-short recess break or that important phone call you were expecting half an hour ago. Waiting…

As I walked the beach the other day I noticed a bunch of surfers out on their boards on the waves…waiting. Or were they? Does it only count as waiting if it feels like time is slipping away? That you could be doing something more important or more productive (or more fun)? As I’ve watched surfers over the years, I notice that surfing involves spending quite a bit of time sitting on the board, watching the waves develop, visiting with other surfers, perhaps even enjoying the sun (or rain or fog or even cold) in the time between actually paddling into a wave and standing up. Do surfers see that time as waiting?

When I know I am going to wait, I come prepared. I carry my book or some work I need to get done, I pull out my phone, flip through social media, news, photos. If it’s a long wait–like an airplane ride, I bring an assortment of activities and hope for access to a movie or TV shows to help pass the time. The worst waiting for me is the kind of waiting when you can’t do anything but wait–like sitting in rush hour traffic. My only options then are to listen to the radio or maybe squeeze in a phone call (hands free, of course!). But sometimes, waiting leaves you with only you to spend time with. Time for thinking and reflection…alone with your own thoughts.

So maybe waiting is about your frame of mind. When it is part of an activity you enjoy–like surfing, waiting isn’t waiting, it’s just what you do. So what about those lines at the grocery store? Can we make them more enjoyable, time spent in thought, perusing tabloid papers, visiting with the stranger in line in front or behind you? Maybe we need names for the different kinds of waiting–like the names for snow in those really cold places–to express the nuanced differences between them. I’ll be thinking about that as I sit in traffic tomorrow…

The year is winding down, we can count the hours until the ball drops and 2017 enters. That also makes it a perfect time for reflection…and a bit of curation of this year’s photos. Instagram is helping folks out this year…creating a #2016bestnine collection based on the number of likes your photos got. Interestingly, my best nine according to Instagram did not make my best five I had culled to share here. Don’t get me wrong, I like these photos and I’m excited that they are not all beach photos! There are two images from UCSD, one from Atlanta and one from Tucson…and even one that I stopped my car and took a photo on a street near my neighborhood.

I actually picked these photos for another reason…as my contribution to Bonnie’s annual year end video compilation (I’ll add the link once she publishes it on her blog). She asked for photos and captions to represent myself. I have found tremendous peace in nature this year, noticing the beauty and experiencing the wonders of the natural world. I love this moss covered branch that I spotted on a walk around the reservoir when visiting my grandsons in the Bay Area earlier this fall.

“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” John Muir

Many of my photos evoke connections to my precious grandsons…three 10 month old boys, sons of my two sons. (You can read about my anticipation of their births here.) I take many photos of them, but none will appear on social media because of my sons’ request that I not post. But I carry them in my mind and heart constantly. When I saw this “found heart” on a prickly pear cactus, I loved the idea of the spines protecting the heart from danger. I’m not sure I have those prickly spines protecting my heart–but I know that I will do anything to protect those sweet boys! (I had them in my arms this week–and am already missing them terribly!)

I love the ordinariness and simplicity of the dandelion. I’ve taken many photos and written many posts focused on them. This particular dandelion caught my attention as I walked out my front door to head to work one morning. Instead of seeing them as weeds, I think of dandelions as wishes–and possibility. They seem to be an icon of childhood, a symbol of nature’s playfulness.

And it wouldn’t be a best of collection for me without a beach photo…or three! I love the beach all the time, but it is special in the fall and winter when the crowds fall away and the sun’s angles change with shorter days and longer nights. There is a sense of silence amongst the sounds of crashing waves, gusting winds, and calls of birds.

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” Ansel Adams

And there is nothing like a photographic mentor. Studying Adams’ photos helped me figure out how to create the contrast needed for this black and white view of a walk I take regularly. I like the way the lack of color creates a mood just right for the concept of silence.

I do find myself looking at the sky as I walk the beach. There is something about the clouds and the birds that draw my attention. It’s hard to get good photos of birds in flight with my iPhone and even with my Sony since I seldom have the zoom lens on (too limiting for everyday). I do love the crispness of this pelican–even at a distance as it swoops over the waves. It also reminds me of all the photos I am not able to take, which helps me realize that there is more to photography than the photos I take. I see so much more when I’m walking with my camera.

But there is nothing quite as special as the beach at sunset. This image is from Halloween–my husband’s birthday–and the romantic and peaceful walk we took before heading out to dinner to celebrate him. The colors were spectacular as the sun sunk into the Pacific…and the reflection on the wet sand creates the perfect mirror image. Ahhhh…

So, take a little time and find your best of 2016 images. You might look back through the whole year…or just the past few months. If you haven’t taken many photos this year, you might just head out with your camera and take a best of today to get yourself started!

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #bestof2016 for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Share your favorite images this week and create your own #bestof2016. I look forward to seeing the best of 2016 through your lens!

During these short days, light becomes a focus. And many of the winter holidays include light as an aspect of celebration. There’s something about light that brings out the reflective qualities–those caused by the light, and those internal reflections provoked by the magic of light. As a photographer, light has become an obsession for me. I notice it, but don’t always master all I need to know and do to create the shots I envision.

We’ve had stormy weather here this past week, bringing some much needed rain to our parched earth. I love the period after the storm (or between storm cells) when the sunlight peeks through the dark clouds creating a magical sky view.

Sometimes light becomes quite literal. I noticed these industrial lights when we were at Home Depot picking a Christmas tree. Even though it was mid-day, the light was on. I couldn’t help noticing the brilliant green of the leaves behind it and the bright blue sky.

With the tree home, we set to work decorating. Sorting out the string of lights is just the kind of job the cats love to help with (Jack is just outside this shot). I like the way the lights glow and reflect on the wood floor.

It was nice to take a break from the cleaning and decorating and shopping for a dinner out with my hubby. As we waited for our pizza at a local brewery, I noticed the lights reflecting off the window. I like the way the inside and outside come together–it was a perfect way to spend a rainy evening.

With a short reprieve before the next rain storm hits later tonight, I squeezed a quick walk on the beach into my schedule. It was as empty on the beach as the roads and stores were full today. I appreciated the quiet of the rush of the waves and the wind in my face as the light played with the clouds and water. This is where I come to think–and to not think.

If you look closely, you can see the pelican. It was soaring and diving, obviously enjoying a pre-storm lunch.

So, take a look for light in your life. You might find it in holiday celebrations, in nature, or maybe just in a quiet moment of reflection.

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #light for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Share the light in your life this week–literal or metaphoric–I know I am looking forward to light through your eyes, and your lens!